| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Alacrity | eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness |
| Burgeon | grow; flourish; put forth new shoots |
| Deleterious | harmful |
| Euphemism | a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant |
| Hypocritical | insincere |
| Lethargic | tired; without energy |
| Ogle | stare at; observe in an obvious manner |
| Postulate | hypothesize; propose |
| Robust | strong; healthy; tough |
| Tractable | obedient; dutiful; polite |
| Alchemy | medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold |
| Burnish | polish |
| Deliberate | to think over deeply |
| Euphony | pleasant sounds |
| Iconoclast | person who opposes orthodoxy |
| Levity | flippancy; joking about serious matters |
| Olfactory | concerned with the sense of smell |
| Potable | suitable for drinking |
| Rotund | round |
| Tranquil | peaceful |
| Alibi | an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene |
| Buttress | strengthen; support |
| Delineation | demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining |
| Evacuate | vacate; empty; abandon |
| Idiosyncrasy | a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual |
| Libertarian | someone who opposes tyranny |
| Ominous | threatening |
| Potent | powerful; compelling; strong |
| Ruminate | think over something; ponder |
| Transcribe | copy |
| Allay | to lessen |
| Byline | the line that tells you who wrote an article |
| Demur | hesitate; refuse |
| Exacerbate | make worse |
| Ignominious | shameful |
| Liniment | soothing lotion |
| Omnipotent | all-powerful |
| Pragmatic | practical |
| Ruse | trick; stratagem |
| Transgress | go astray; disobey; commit a sin |
| Alleviate | make less severe |
| Cacophony | discordant loud noises |
| Denounce | condemn; speak out against |
| Exasperated | frustrated; annoyed |
| Ignominy | shame [ignominious (a) = shameful] |
| Lithe | flexible; supple |
| Omniscient | all-knowing |
| Pragmatist | practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness |
| Saccharin | falsely sweet |
| Transient | short-lived; ephemeral |
| Aloof | distant; detached; cold |
| Cajole | coax |
| Deplete | use up; lessen |
| Exceptionable | very bad (something which we should object to) |
| Illuminate | to light up or make clear |
| Livid | very angry |
| Onerous | burdensome; hard to undertake |
| Preamble | introductory material |
| Sacrosanct | very holy; inviolable |
| Traverse | to move across |
| Altruism | putting others first; being self-sacrificing |
| Caldron | huge cooking pot |
| Deplore | regret |
| Exculpate | free someone from blame; pardon; acquit |
| Illusory | deceptive; false; misleading |
| Lobbyist | person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause |
| Onus | burden |
| Precarious | unstable; risky |
| Sagacious | wise |
| Trepidation | fear |
| Amass | accumulate |
| Callow | immature |
| Depravity | moral corruption |
| Execrable | very, very bad |
| Immoderate | excessive; extreme |
| Lofty | snooty; arrogant; haughty |
| Opaque | does not let light through |
| Precedent | a previous occurrence used as a guide |
| Sage | a wise person |
| Trinket | something of little value; knick-knack |
| Ambiguity | uncertainty; vagueness |
| Candid | frank; honest |
| Deprecate | criticize; denounce |
| Exegesis | scholarly explanation or interpretation |
| Immutable | unchanging; permanent |
| Longevity | long life |
| Opulent | wealthy; rich; magnificent |
| Precept | guiding principle |
| Salacious | lecherous; erotic |
| Trite | unoriginal; dull |
| Ambiguous | unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways |
| Candor | frankness; openness |
| Deride | ridicule; make fun of; mock |
| Exemplary | outstandingly good; setting a fine example |
| Impartial | unbiased; neutral |
| Loquacious | talkative |
| Ordain | 1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest |
| Precinct | district of a city |
| Sallow | yellowish |
| Trivial | unimportant |
| Aesthetic | concerning art or beauty |
| Bulwark | fortification; barricade; wall |
| Defunct | no longer in existence |
| Etymology | the study of word origins |
| Hyperbole | grossly exaggerated speech |
| Legend | 1. key to map; 2. myth or story |
| Odious | hateful |
| Posterity | future generations |
| Rife | common |
| Torpor | dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
| Affable | friendly; social; easygoing |
| Bureaucracy | officialdom |
| Degradation | deprivation; poverty; debasement |
| Eulogy | praise |
| Hypochondriac | a person obsessed with health;having imaginary illnesses |
| Legion | in large numbers |
| Officious | domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
| Posthumous | after death |
| Rigor | thoroughness |
| Totter | walk unsteadily |
Combine with other sets
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